FEMA will conduct two 90-minute virtual public meetings to gather public feedback on the National Flood Insurance Program. The meeting will focus on the program’s floodplain management standards for land management and use and an assessment of the program’s impact on threatened and endangered species and their habitats.
Initially published in the Federal Register on Oct. 12, this request of information is to gather comments on opportunities to update the program’s minimum floodplain management standards to help communities become safer, stronger and more resilient. It also seeks input on minimum floodplain management standards that will promote conservation of threatened and endangered species and their habitats consistent with the Endangered Species Act, Section 7(a)(1).
Each meeting is open to the public and will cover the same content. Participants must register in advance and will be confirmed on a first-come, first-served basis to provide a verbal comment. Registration is open for the following public meetings:
- The first public meeting will be held from 2:30 – 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, Nov. 4. Visit this webpage to register.
- The second public meeting will be held from 3:30 – 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Nov. 15. Visit this webpage to register.
On the registration page, registrants can indicate if they have an interest in providing a three-minute verbal comment during a meeting.
Additional Information About the Request for Information
The type of feedback that is most useful to the agency includes feedback that:
- Identifies opportunities for the agency to improve the minimum floodplain management standards for land management and use.
- Identifies specific program components that promote conservation of threatened and endangered species and their habitats.
- Refers to specific barriers to community participation.
- Aligns the program with the improved understanding of flood risk and flood risk reduction approaches.
- Identifies better incentives for communities and policyholders, particularly for Endangered Species Act-listed species and critical habitats.
- Offers actionable data.
- Specifies viable alternatives to existing approaches that meet statutory obligations.
In addition to providing verbal comments at the public meetings, any interested person can submit written comments to the Federal Register notice. Written comments can be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal using Docket ID: FEMA-2021-2024. Click on the “Comment” button and complete the form. The comment period closes on Dec. 13.
